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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23206855">It Had To Be You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValerieValerah/pseuds/ValerieValerah'>ValerieValerah</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ghost (Sweden Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Awkward Kissing, Dancing, F/M, Little Black Dress, Platonic Romance, Rats, Slow Dancing, dinner for two</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:54:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,013</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23206855</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValerieValerah/pseuds/ValerieValerah</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sister Nicole gets more than she bargained for when someone slips a note under her bedroom door.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cardinal Copia/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>It Had To Be You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The one activity Nicole loved more than anything was to curl up in bed with a good book. It didn't matter that it was the middle of the afternoon; she was perfectly happy under a blanket with her pajamas on, lost in her novel.</p><p>She turned page after page, engrossed in the story, until a soft swishing sound brought her back to reality. She looked around her room, trying to figure out where the noise came from, when she noticed that someone had slipped a letter under her door. Curious, she set her book aside and went to retrieve it.</p><p>Nicole inspected the unmarked envelope as she climbed back into bed with it. It looked innocent enough, but she couldn't imagine why someone would slip anything under her door. She ripped open the seal to find a short handwritten note inside:</p><p>
  <em>Nicole,</em><br/>
<em>Please join me in my chambers at 8 o'clock tonight for a surprise.</em><br/>
<em>Semi-formal attire is requested (if you don't mind).</em><br/>
<em>Sincerely,</em><br/>
<em>Copia</em>
</p><p>She turned over the paper, but nothing else was written on it. "What could that man be up to?" she wondered quietly to herself. She shrugged and set the letter on her nightstand, returning to her book.</p><p>A few hours later, Nicole dragged herself out of bed and into the shower. She thought about the letter while she washed her hair. As unusual as it seemed, she took comfort in the fact that everything about her relationship with Copia was unusual.</p><p>After drying herself off and wrapping her hair in a towel, she had a look through her closet. She had no idea why Copia wanted her to dress up, but she figured that since he asked nicely, she would humor him. She selected a black knee-length dress and matching heels and set them on her bed to finish getting ready.</p><p>Nicole stared at herself in the mirror while she blow-dried her hair, trying to imagine what Copia had in store for her. Knowing him, it could be any number of things. She finished getting ready as quickly as possible, eager to find out what her surprise was.</p><p>She slipped into her dress before opening her jewelry box. After surveying her collection, she selected a simple silver chain and diamond studs. She finished by putting on her shoes and giving herself a spritz of perfume. A final look in the mirror preceded a nod of approval; she was as ready as she would ever be.</p><p>Grabbing her clutch, Nicole slipped out the door and quietly walked down the hall to Copia's room. She stood outside for a minute, swaying back and forth absent-mindedly. When her watch read exactly 8pm, she took a deep breath and knocked.</p><p>It only took a moment for Copia to open the door. He greeted her with a smile, looking sharp dressed in his black suit. “Hello, Nicole! I'm glad you could make it.”</p><p>She smiled back at him. “Thank you for the invitation. I've been looking forward to it all afternoon.”</p><p>“Please come in,” he said, stepping aside to allow her to enter. His heart skipped a beat as he saw how her dress clung to her curves. “You look beautiful tonight,” he said as he looked her up and down.</p><p>Nicole blushed a little. “Thanks. You look very handsome yourself. I hope I'm not overdressed.”</p><p>“Not at all. Anything you wore would have been fine, but that dress is perfect.” She blushed a little deeper, squeezing her clutch in an effort to try and hide her nervousness.</p><p>Nicole stepped over to the rats' cage to say hello. They poked their noses between the bars and chittered at her as she approached. “Hi, guys,” she greeted them. “Do you know why your daddy asked me here? Are you in on this surprise?”</p><p>Copia placed his hand on her shoulder. “They’re good secret-keepers, but if you turn around, you’ll be in on the surprise, too.”</p><p>Nicole turned and quietly gasped. Copia had set up dinner for two in his room, complete with candles and a white tablecloth. “What’s all this?” she asked, astounded.</p><p>“I thought you deserved a nice night in,” he said. “A relaxing night of wining and dining, so to speak. Well, without the wine, but you know what I mean.” He let out a nervous laugh.</p><p>“That is incredibly sweet of you,” she said, still staring at the setup. He moved his hand to the small of her back and led her over to the table, pulling out her chair for her to sit down.</p><p>“It’s not really anything fancy,” Copia said as he pushed her chair in. “I’m not much of a chef, but I did the best I could.” He walked over to a small prep area he had set up on the other side of the room, returning with salads for each of them. He made a second trip, this time bringing two steaming bowls of rigatoni from a hot plate.</p><p>Nicole’s jaw dropped as she watched him. “I’m completely blown away,” she said. “This is so incredibly thoughtful of you.”</p><p>The last thing Copia brought to the table was a bucket containing a bottle of sparkling cider on ice. He poured them each a glass before taking a seat across from her. “Really, it’s nothing,” he assured her. “I just hope my cooking turned out okay.”</p><p>They picked up their forks and began to eat. It was evident that he hadn’t cut any corners when preparing it. The salad bowls had even been chilled in the refrigerator so that the lettuce wouldn’t get warm.</p><p>Nicole was very impressed by the effort he had put in. “Everything is delicious,” she said, dabbing her mouth with her napkin. “I still can’t believe that you did all this just for me.”</p><p>“You deserve it,” he said. “You do so much around here and don’t get anywhere near the thanks you’re owed. I just wanted you to be able to sit back and relax tonight.”</p><p>They made small talk while they ate, discussing their lives and sharing stories. By the end of the meal, the pair were full of both food and laughter.</p><p>"I have dessert, too, if you're interested," Copia said as he laid his napkin on the table.</p><p>Nicole shook her head. "Thank you, but I couldn't possibly eat another bite. Let’s save it for later."</p><p>He rose to his feet. "Let's find a more comfortable spot." Nicole started to gather her dishes and he grabbed her hands. "Leave those, I'll get them later."</p><p>She stood up and moved over to Copia’s couch. As she sat down, he once again moved to the other side of the room. He quickly flipped through his record collection, carefully selecting one and placing it onto his ancient Victrola. By the time he had joined her again, the room had filled with the quiet melody of an Italian opera.</p><p>Nicole smiled and closed her eyes while she listened to the music. “I feel like every time I hear music coming from your room, it’s in Italian.” She felt the cushion move as Copia sat down next to her, but she kept her eyes closed. “Do you listen to other music, too?”</p><p>“Of course,” he replied. “I have plenty of options. I can change this if you’d like.”</p><p>“No, no, this is beautiful,” Nicole said. “Everything you’ve done tonight has been perfect.”</p><p>The music continued to provide the background to their conversation. As the evening went on, they both relaxed a bit more. Their small talk gave way to gossip and funny stories. When the record ended, Copia got up to change it, replacing the opera with a Frank Sinatra album. He sauntered back over toward Nicole, adding a little spring in his step when the music finally started. Instead of sitting back down, he offered her his hand. “Would you care to dance?”</p><p>A huge smile crossed her face. “I would love to.” She kicked off her shoes before taking his hand. They walked to the center of the room where Copia placed his hand on her waist and they began to dance. It felt effortless, as if they had been dance partners for years. After a few minutes, he added in a couple of twirls. Nicole laughed as she spun, the bottom of her dress billowing out slightly.</p><p>When the song changed to <em>It Had To Be You</em>, he slowed their pace. Copia wrapped his arm a little tighter around her waist and held her close. Nicole rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. They quietly swayed to the music, both of them feeling more comfortable with each other than they ever had before.</p><p>The song finally ended and the only sound in the room was the white noise created by the still-spinning record. Nicole raised her head from Copia’s shoulder. As soon as she opened her eyes, he could see the joy in her face. Without thinking, he leaned in and kissed her.</p><p>Nicole froze for a second, caught off guard, but then relaxed. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him back. His lips moved softly and slowly against hers and she relished every movement. For the first time since they’d met, their embrace felt right.</p><p>When Copia finally pulled away, he saw that Nicole’s cheeks were flushed. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know what came over me…”</p><p>She smiled at him. “It’s okay. Just like everything else tonight, it was a nice surprise.”</p><p>They stood in the middle of the room, both of them awkwardly looking at the floor. Copia decided to go stop the record player so that they could each have a moment to get their thoughts together. He carefully put the vinyl back in its sleeve and reshelved it before returning to Nicole.</p><p>“I'll be honest with you,” he said, “I'm not sure what to do now. I feel like I just derailed my own plan.”</p><p>Nicole grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “Everything's fine, I promise, but I can go if you want me to.”</p><p>Copia squeezed her hand back. “I want you to stay, but maybe we should quit while we're ahead.”</p><p>“I've got an idea,” Nicole offered. “Let's change out of these fancy clothes and just watch some TV. As much as I appreciate being wined and dined, I'm perfectly happy just hanging out with you.”</p><p>Copia smiled. “I like that idea. Why don't you head back to your room and relax and I'll join you shortly?”</p><p>“Alright. See you soon then.” Nicole gave him a kiss on the cheek before grabbing her shoes and taking her leave.</p><p>When she arrived back at her room, she got ready for bed, changing into a tank top and shorts before climbing into bed. She had just turned on the television when there was a knock at her door. Before she had a chance to say anything, Copia walked in wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt and carrying a plastic container.</p><p>“Hello again,” Nicole said, patting the empty spot beside her. “Whatcha got?”</p><p>Copia sat down next to her. “I forgot about our dessert.” He opened the container to reveal half a dozen mini cannolis. “I didn’t make them, but they’re good, I promise.”</p><p>“Ooh, I love these,” Nicole said, taking one. “Thank you so much!” The two of them nibbled on their treats while they flipped channels, eventually settling on a late night talk show. They laughed along with the host’s corny jokes and watched as some B-rated actor plugged his new movie. It wasn’t until the credits started rolling that Copia realized Nicole had fallen asleep.</p><p>He sat there and watched her sleep for a moment. She looked so peaceful when she rested, like she didn’t have a care in the world. Even though he had a lot on his shoulders, being with her made him feel the same way. He shut off the television and laid down beside her. “Goodnight, Nicole,” he whispered, kissing her forehead softly before closing his own eyes.</p>
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